The province is providing $51,245 to the College of New Caledonia to support the establishment of a new medical radiography technology diploma program. CNC plans to begin the two-and-a-half year program in 2010. The college is developing the new program in partnership with Northern Health, the Northern Medical Society, and Interior Health. A medical radiography technologist diploma program at CNC would fill the immediate and growing technologist shortage in British Columbia. Currently, there is a steady increase in requests for procedures and it is expected that the opening of the Northern Cancer Centre in 2012 in Prince George will further increase demands on imaging departments.